North Island

The rugged north region of Vancouver Island is a year-round outdoor adventure paradise offering a wealth of recreation opportunities and world-class sport fishing. Teeming with wildlife, the North Island provides plenty of rewarding opportunities for nature enthusiasts and photographers. Much of Vancouver Island once looked as the north island still does today.

Only 3 percent of the island population lives on the northern half of Vancouver Island, and North Island communities are known for their warm hospitality and friendliness. Many of the more remote resorts and hideaways are accessible only by chartered float plane or boat.

Port Hardy is the largest community on the North Island and serves as the gateway to the coastal wilderness of Cape Scott Provincial Park and the North Coast Trail, and the southern terminal for the BC Ferries’ Inside Passage and Discovery Coast voyages.

Included in the North Island region are the communities of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, and Sointula on Malcolm Island, both situated just offshore and accessible by ferry from Port McNeill. Also included are the inlets and waterways on the mainland coast that are accessible from north island towns.

The following communities, sounds, inlets and passages are located in the North Island region. Click on each name to view more information on each location.

Location: The top half of 450-km long Vancouver Island is served by a maze of logging roads and Highway 19 (North Island Highway), which links Campbell River in Central Island with Port Hardy, the southern terminus of BC Ferries’ Inside Passage and Discovery Coast Routes. BC Ferries links the north and central coasts (Prince Rupert and Bella Coola respectively) with Vancouver Island at Port Hardy.

Travel to ports in Nootka Sound and neighbouring Kyuquot Sound to the north is via MV Uchuck lll, a working freighter based in Gold River that provides a year-round passenger and freight service.

Business Information

Quatsino Lodge specializes in guided sea kayaking & sportfishing. Kayaking guests enjoy day trips exploring ever changing coast lines, secluded beaches, remote islands and secret coves with abundant sea life. Our heated cabin cruisers take us out to the chosen area, and collects us at the end of the day, eliminating the need to paddle long distances, camp out or live on board a boat, evenings are spent warm, dry and pampered in the comfort of the lodge.

Business Information

Kayaking British Columbia is the ultimate way to view BC’s abundant wildlife.

We want you to fall in love with kayaking and our unique coast, and our passion shows in everything we do. Choose among several professionally-guided 4-8 day trips for all experience levels around Vancouver Island. ‘Glamping’ basecamp-style with wood-fired hot tub overlooking the Pacific Ocean, or expedition-style paddling from camp to camp and paddling between 100s of islands through the Broughton Archipelago, famous Desolation Sound and the wild Great Bear Rainforest on the Central Coast. Savouring a fresh salmon BBQ in the open air, explore and view fascinating wildlife and wilderness and wake up on remote islands with the sound of the whales. Unique and breathtaking.

Our adventures are for everyone and are designed to cater to all levels of experience and abilities. We take care to introduce you to the sport in a fun and safe manner. All that we ask is that you welcome adventure with an open mind and are able to laugh and have fun when encountering the unexpected. Our groups are small, ranging from 8 to 13 people, depending on the trip, in order to provide you with the best experience possible. We provide everything you need for a once in a lifetime kayaking adventure. We provide high-quality fiberglass kayaks, paddling equipment, camp cookware, eating utensils, and camping gear.

Our guides take care of you for the entire duration of your tour, prepare delicious, organic and local meals, and have extensive training and experience in sea kayaking and in sharing the natural and cultural history of the area.

During the Northern Hemisphere winter, we also offer kayaking trips to the glacier-fed South American wildlife paradise, the Chilean Patagonia Archipelago, and multi-day escapes to sun, sand, remote beaches and the warm crystal clear waters of the Bahamas. Please contact us for all details of these amazing winter getaways!

Business Information

Come and join us for a world-class vacation at one of the premier Vancouver Island fishing lodges. At our oceanfront fishing lodge you’ll be treated like family, enjoy gourmet meals prepared by our chef, and relax after a day on the water in our hot tub and sauna – all in one of Vancouver Island’s hottest fishing areas. We consistently send our guests home with limits of Salmon and Halibut. The resort offers luxurious waterfront accommodation for up to 15 guests, and is the only oceanfront fishing lodge in Zeballos, BC, a great spot for a corporate retreat, a family vacation, or the fishing trip of a lifetime with friends.

Business Information

Reel Obsession Sport Fishing Charters offers year-round, world-class, fully-guided BC salmon and halibut sportfishing charters on Vancouver Island on the west coast of British Columbia, fishing Zeballos, Nootka Sound, Esperanza Inlet, and Victoria. We offer a variety of charter fishing packages and are quite flexible in customizing your charter fishing experience to suit your needs. Our west coast BC fishing lodge is uniquely located in the migration path of the Pacific salmon, featuring career guides steeped in the local fishery, consistent big catches, world-class service and accommodation, and great fishing all summer long.

Business Information

Black Bear Resort in the beautiful coastal community of Port McNeill is the newest property on Northern Vancouver Island, offering elegant accommodation on the fringe of a natural forest with beautiful ocean views. The stylish cedar resort boasts 40 tastefully decorated guestrooms each with stunning views of the protected harbour, Malcolm Island, and the coastal mountains of the BC mainland.

Business Information

Sea Kayak in comfort based from our ocean-side, or float-house accommodations in the wilderness of the Broughton Archipelago, a kayak paradise. The phrase ‘Walking Softly in the Wilderness’ has always been a guiding principle for our homesteading lifestyle and approach to developing our inn. Paddlers Inn has earned a Gold rating from Green Tourism Canada for our efforts to continually reduce our impact on the environment, while supporting others to do the same. We also offer Acupressure massage on-site. Surround yourself with ocean, beaches, trails, an inland lake, and quiet beauty.

Business Information

Ocean Light II is a beautiful and spacious 71ft sailboat offering comfort, a classic natural wood interior, 5 guest cabins, fishing gear, 7 seakayaks, and a 19ft hard-bottom inflatable. Her crew has 34 years of experience offering natural history and photography tours on the BC Coast, including Haida Gwaii, and specializing in grizzly viewing tours in the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, and spirit bear and grizzly tours in the Great Bear Rainforest. We also offer whale watching and eco tours, from totems to intertidal treasures, rocky shores to sandy beaches, and spawning salmon to towering trees. We offer five spectacular adventure trips between May and October, each to a different region and each highlighting the awe-inspiring beauty of the beautiful BC coast.

Business Information

Moutcha Bay Resort, Nootka Sound Resort and Newton Cove Resort operate together as Nootka Marine Adventures. Located on the pristine west coast of Vancouver Island, Moutcha Bay Resort is situated at the mouth of the picturesque Conuma River and only a 40 minute drive from Gold River. The two other floating resorts; Nootka Sound Resort and Newton Cove resort are located in the sheltered waters of Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet.

These resorts offer exceptional amenities, comfortable luxury accommodation, gourmet meals and boat moorage, along with some of the most spectacular, salmon, halibut and tuna fishing available. The Nootka Marine Adventures’ guides are some of the most experienced and professional in the area. They will help ensure that you have both a memorable as well as a highly-productive angling experience aboard comfortable, covered 28-foot boats. Take a fully-guided fishing trip or partake in the numerous outdoor activities including; wildlife-viewing, trail walks, caving, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding or excursions to the historic Friendly Cove.

Business Information

Nestled in the rainforests of Northern Vancouver Island, Hidden Cove Lodge is an ocean front, eco-friendly lodge, situated on the Johnstone Strait, 20 minutes from the boardwalk Village of Telegraph Cove. Our west coast cedar will bring you back to the heart of nature in some of Canada’s most spectacular natural landscapes.

Disconnect from the world by escaping to our little off-the-grid paradise, where our wind, solar and generator-powered lodge and oceanside cottages will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed while at the same time allowing you to experience our breathtaking scenery and have some amazing wildlife encounters.

Business Information

Fly-in for spectacular raincoast wildlife viewing in remote Knight Inlet in the spectacular Coast Mountains – Grizzly Bears and Black Bears, killer whales (Orcas), humpback whales, dolphins, stellar seals, sea lions, eagles and more. Knight Inlet is a famous natural fjord world renowned for its Grizzly Bear viewing. Get close to the action with our privileged access to special Grizzly Bear viewing stands. We offer 3-day trips out of Campbell River on Vancouver Island to the world capital for grizzly bear safaris. Explore the pristine natural world of British Columbia’s coastal grizzly bear. Whether you’re photographing the grizzly and black bears or waiting for that elusive shot of a whale breaching, we’ll bring you right to the wildlife hot spots so you can capture all the action.

Business Information

Wildcoast provides memorable kayak vacations for adventure travellers that combine spectacular scenery, scrumptious food, and abundant wildlife encounters, including whales, dolphins, bears and eagles. Kayak with Killer Whales at our Orca base camp in Johnstone Strait, or take one of our kayak expeditions to Desolation Sound or the Discovery Islands. Our top-rated service caters to both local and international clientele. All kayak tours are fully inclusive and no kayaking experience is required. Only have a day? Visit our storefront for paddleboard and kayak Rentals or Day Tours in the stunning vistas surrounding Quadra Island.

As an experienced BC realtor, Ed Handja successfully markets and locates real estate on the British Columbia coast for his clients. He’s lived and worked on the coast all his life, traveling from Indian Arm and the Gulf Islands on the southern BC coast, to the Khutzeymateen Valley in the northern most part of British Columbia. Ed is familiar with the west coast of Canada and understands the logistics and considerations required when dealing with the remote and unconventional real estate on the islands and west coast of BC.

Business Information

Fishing Location:Quatsino Sound, BC

Located in Quatsino Sound, Quatsino Lodge specializes in guiding clients to the best sportfishing and sea kayaking on northern West Coast Vancouver Island. We offer saltwater and freshwater fishing packages as well as mothership kayaking and superb wildlife viewing. Quatsino Lodge is an intimate family-run business catering to small personal and corporate groups. Any group size from 2-12.

Business Information

Awaken to the song of the Humpback whale. Fall asleep beneath the hushed canopy of a temperate rainforest. Fill your days whale-watching, kayaking with Orcas, observing sea lions romp through an underwater forest of kelp, and eagles fishing along the shore. Linger over lunch on a deserted island, scanning the horizon for signs of Orca activity.

Sign up for Ecosummer’s guided Orca Camps to kayak in the realm of Killer Whales. Explore the rainforest, hiking to waterfalls, or along ancient First Nation trails. Marvel when dolphins swim so close you wish you could reach out and touch them. Tune in to the rhythm of the tides. Escape the hubbub of your everyday world and restore life’s equilibrium on the shores of BC’s Johnstone Strait, one of the best places to whale-watch in all of British Columbia. Paddle the same waters as these gentle giants on three, four, or six-day kayaking adventures with Ecosummer Expeditions for a family vacation you’ll always remember.

Business Information

Orca Dreams offers twenty years experience hosting people from around the world in the wildlife-rich waters of Johnstone Strait and Broughton Archipelago, off the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Orca Dreams now offers Canada’s first whale-watching camp, with BC packages that include 4 days of luxury camping.

Watch surfacing humpback whales, a passing pod of orcas, or a curious seal pass by while sipping your morning coffee from your waterfront safari-style tent. Whale watch from camp, kayak or boat, surrounded by the rich wildlife of coastal BC.

Orca Dreams is situated within the traditional territory of the Mamalilikula-Qwe’Qwa’Sot’Em First Nation, on Compton Island on the edge of Blackney Pass, one of the most wildlife-rich marine ecosystems in the world. Blackney Pass connects Queen Charlotte Strait with Johnstone Strait where the strong currents churn up nutrients from deep below, feeding everything from small herring to the 40-ton humpback whales.

Blackney Pass is also one of the best places in North America to view Orcas – also known as Killer Whales – as they make their way to and from Johnstone Strait and the rubbing beaches of Robson Bight on Vancouver Island.

Featured

Johnstone Strait & Broughton Archipelago Expedition, British Columbia This expedition is a professionally-guided 6-day kayaking journey exploring the beautiful Broughton Archipelago and Johnstone Strait area of British Columbia. This is a one-way tour, which means no back tracking, and experiencing something new every day. This region is famous for its [...]

Broughton Archipelago Paddlers Inn offers wilderness enthusiasts the comfort of craftsman built accommodations, nestled along the forested shoreline of The Broughton Archipelago, near Echo Bay and North Vancouver Island. Surround yourself with ocean, beaches, trails, an inland lake, and quiet beauty. Broughton Archipelago is the home of the Killer Whale, [...]